USA: CO Mountain Lion With Revolver

[Green Chile]

Just before Christmas, I finished what was easily the hardest day of hunting I have done out of many experiences. We found where a mountain lion had killed and eaten 1/2 of a record class mule deer and that was a real shame. We tracked it from that kill at around 10k feet elevation down into a nasty steep canyon (over 1000 feet of steep descent) and finally the dogs caught and treed the cat after 6 hours of trailing. Of course, the cat went to the nastiest hole it could find and then climbed the biggest tree within miles. The guide said in 26 years they had never seen a cat climb so high. It was well over 100 feet up and would not present a great angle. If you zoom in on the top of the tree, you will see the back right leg of the cat with its white patch of fur.

I found a little stick to steady the S&W 610 10mm revolver and leaned way back for the vertical shot. Shot distance was estimated around 75 yards. The first shot went through the back leg and came out the throat. As the cat fell through the branches, I hit it again somewhere in the middle. It hit the ground alive and the dogs were all over it. These are expensive dogs and I was very concerned about them getting hurt as they live to fight these big cats. The guide was throwing dogs backwards off the cat and finally I had an opening and put 3 quick shots into it from about 4 feet away.

Then the hard work started and we took the hide and meat back up the nasty ascent. It took a few hours to get out, finishing in the dark with the temps dropping rapidly. It was a tough climb out in crampons with some pitches of 40 plus degrees with snow that would slide every time you stood on it. One of the guides threw up 2x going back up and I threw up back at the truck. I was completely out of gas afterwards but this was a great hunt that I will never forget and I was grateful for the experience and challenge. The only US hunt that is probably tougher on average is mountain goats. I'm drawing for that hunt on Kodiak but it won't be with a revolver!

Attached is a target photo of the revolver; 10 shots offhand at 20 yards with 180 XTPs. I thought about taking my bow on this trip but there's no way I could have killed the cat at 75 yards in the branches and wrapped around the trunk.

 

[cpr0312]

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[rinehart0050]

Wow! Impressive. Congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[gillettehunter]

Nice cat. Congrats on your hunt. One you'll always remember.
Bruce

 

[Nyati]

A great cat, congrats !

 

[Mekaniks]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing

 

[Bullthrower338]

Great cat, one of the finest tasting pieces of meat out there too! We always tie the dogs uphill from the tree before we kill the cat, saves sewing them up on the tailgate and expensive vet bills!
I was looking at a S&W 610 yesterday, an excellent pistol for cat hunting, yours appears to a shooter no doubt!
cheers,
Cody

 

[Green Chile]

Great cat, one of the finest tasting pieces of meat out there too! We always tie the dogs uphill from the tree before we kill the cat, saves sewing them up on the tailgate and expensive vet bills!
I was looking at a S&W 610 yesterday, an excellent pistol for cat hunting, yours appears to a shooter no doubt!
cheers,
Cody

How do you cook yours? I was thinking about some kind of crockpot dish over rice to start with. Treat it like a piece of pork loin or roast.

 

[Bullthrower338]

How do you cook yours? I was thinking about some kind of crockpot dish over rice to start with. Treat it like a piece of pork loin or roast.

I’ve cooked it much like pork as Mountain Lion IS the other white meat! I was once working in Colorado and happened to stop in to a pub for a beer and they had a whole mountain Lion cooking slowly on a rotisserie over coals, needless to say I set up camp at the pub until it was done. It was quite possibly the most delicious meal I’ve ever enjoyed! My mom absolutely loves Mountain Lion and my friends that don’t eat it usually bring it to her. Most folks won’t eat it because it is a cat, pisses me off when they are left to waste in the woods.

 

[Green Chile]

In CO, meat recovery is required for lions.

 

[BourbonTrail]

Congratulations, mt. lion is on my must do list for 2024.

 

[Green Chile]

I will say this...if you are even considering a tough hunt like mountain lion, go as soon as you can. Not all lion hunts are hard but the potential is always there. You're getting older and some hunts are more suitable to young or middle age versus your senior years. Craig Boddington was telling me at DSC this year that most of his high altitude hunts are behind him. His advice was sound; go now if you can. Time, money and health...you probably never (or rarely) have all 3 at the same time but go while you have 2 of the 3!

 

[Hunter4752001]

Congrats on a truly tough hunt and great result. Personally, while 10mm is a great cartridge for semi-auto hunters, I think there are better calibers out there for revolver hunts, especially with something nasty like a big cat, 41 Mag, 44 Rem Mag, 454 Casull, 460 S&W etc. Of these the 41 Mag and the 44 Rem Mag would fit in a similar bulk and weight envelope to the 10mm revolver. The 454 won't be too much heavier. However, each to their own and again well done.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Oh am I envious Green Chile! I have been on 3 cougar hunts and failed to get one! Now I am trying to call one in. Not sure I can physically chase one again behind dogs being 75, but it is still one of the top on my bucket list.
Congratulations!

 

[PARA45]

Wow, what I great hunt, congratulations on a fine cat. Not sure how I missed this report and thank you for the link.

 

[Switup]

Beautiful revolver

 

[AZDAVE]

Chasing things up and down hills at altitude is always a strenuous adventure. What guide service did you use?

 

[Green Chile]

I booked through WTA (formerly Cabelas) and used Allout Guiding and Outfitting. They are based around Grand Junction, CO and hunt in western CO and Utah.